The Chris Waller stable are yet to confirm a rescheduled first-up run for gun young filly Omei Sword in the Light Fingers Stakes on the Winx-dominated Apollo Stakes Day card at Royal Randwick this weekend.
Foxplay (pictured) could be the sole 2017 Light Fingers Stakes runner for Chris Waller of Omei Sword misses the race. Photo: Steve Hart.
Saturdayâs Sydney line-up is headed by the much-awaited return of dual Cox Plate winner, the worldâs best turf horse Winx in the $250,000 Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m).
Race fans have also been looking forward to the autumn kick-off of Winxâs stablemate Omei Sword who was last seen racing at Rosehill for her second to Astern last September in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m).
After a couple of standard trials in January, the three-year-old daughter of High Chaparral was originally set to run last weekend in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m).
Slight muscle soreness saw her scratched from the race subsequently won by the 2017 Randwick Guineas-bound Man From Uncle.
Plan B became a $200,000 Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) run against her own kind this Saturday, Omei Sword one of 16 three-year-old fillies nominated for the set weights event.
In a statement from the Waller camp on Tuesday however there was still no final decision on whether or not Omei Sword would be accepted into the Light Fingers Stakes field.
âNo further decision has been made in relation to whether Omei Sword will race in the Light Fingers Stakes this Saturday at Randwick,â the statement read.
âChris [Waller] had planned to gallop her this morning but has decided to give her another 24 hours before galloping her and therefore she will gallop tomorrow morning.
“Chris will then make a decision after that gallop as to whether he will accept with her or not.
“At this stage she has not missed a day’s work but has been restricted to slow work since last Thursday.”
All-in Light Fingers Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au have Omei Sword safe as the $2.90 favourite.
Following closely in those futures markets at $3.50 is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Global Glamour who won the Flight Stakes â Thousand Guineas double last spring over a mile.
Star Witness filly Global Glamour has had two runs this summer including her close second behind Flying Jess at the Gold Coast on January 14 in the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m).
If Omei Sword misses the race, Waller could still be represented by his untapped Foxwedge filly Foxplay.
The three-time winning grey took out back-to-back Group 2 Randwick races last September winning the Furious Stakes (1200m) in the wet and the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) on a firm track.
She was last seen running two and a half-lengths fourth to Global Glamour in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 8 last year.
The autumn plans of Omei Sword then are up in the air, but she was nominated for six of the ten The Championships races on Monday when early entries for the April features closed.
Omei Sword is in the mix for the $3 million Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) and Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) on April 1, as well as three April 8 races including the $4 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) where Winx will round-out her preparation.
For all the latest autumn racing odds and Group 1 future betting markets head to Ladbrokes.com.au now â home of the $500 first-time depositorsâ bonus match bet offer with use of the code word BETBONUS (T&Cs apply / excluding NSW).